Intelligent Design on trial

And so it should be.

You may have read how Christians in Kansas have organized a series of courtroom-style hearings to determine if that children should be taught Intelligent Design in their science classes. Their idea was to put evolution on trial – get scientists to defend evolution under cross-examination. Scientists rightly rejected the premise (science isn’t decided this way), and refused to take part. The ID proponents presented their side anyway.

Well, it seems the idea is backfiring on the IDiots. Since this is a courtroom-style debate, the ID witnesses could be cross-examined. Unusually, ID proponents are having to defend their claims and answer direct questions designed to expose the flaws in their “theory”. The result is that attorney Pedro Irigonegaray’s cross-examination of the ID witnesses is actually putting ID, not evolution, on trial.

Via Pharyngula I found Red State Rabble who has spent several days at the hearings and reports on the ID witnesses’ clueless responses. Thoughts From Kansas also reports.

Some of my favorite clueless ID responses include:

Is it possible that life evolved from inanimate chemical molecules?

"Utterly impossible," says Nancy Bryson, an instructor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

OK, that settles it then. It’s impossible. Thanks for clearing that up. Then there’s this:

(Stephen) Meyer (director of the Discovery Institute, the ID think tank) stonewalled Science Coalition attorney Pedro Irigonegaray's cross-examination, refusing repeatedly to answer his questions. Irigonegaray several times asked board chairman Steve Abrams to compel Meyer to answer, but to no avail.

Meyer's stonewalling is curious in a man who is arguing that the Kansas Science standards limit inquiry. After all, how is public policy discussion or scientific investigation possible if the ideas or theories under discussion are kept secret?

And this:

During cross-examination, Science Coalition attorney Pedro Irigonegaray has forced each intelligent design witness to go on record about their opinion on the age of the earth, common descent, and whether human beings have evolved from pre-hominids.

So far, not one witness has said they believe the evidence supports a belief that all living things share a common ancestor or that they believe that human have evolved from pre-hominids.

Professional scientists who are monitoring the hearings commented that this position commits the witnesses to a belief in special creation for each plant and animal species now in existence.

This summary by Thoughts From Kansas shows where this has all been going:

The press conference was a bit disorganized, since every scientist wanted to answer every question. And we did so very well. The press was interested in our opinion, and really seemed to be learning about the topic.

Quick summary: The boycott worked, and the IDolators didn't put on much of a case. They also got tripped up too many times to declare any sort of victory. Stupid missteps by the subcommittee and the witnesses made it easy to see that this really was a kangaroo court, not a serious attempt to explore the subject.

Hardly surprising since ID proponents don’t have anything to back up their claims except their own incredulity that it could have happened that way. Eventually even the press may begin to get this.

On a related matter, Pharyngula also reports on the letters in the Star Tribune following his Op-Ed piece a couple of weeks ago. They published eight pro and only three anti-evolution letters. Didn’t publish either of Skeptico’s offerings though. Good job Skeptico has a blog then or those pearls of wisdom would be wasted.

Comments

[Doctorrazz]

In the last year I have been challenging a number of academic institutions with questions on a completely unrelated matter. However, as frustrated as it may seem to the unscientifically inclined, there is so much scientific data to support evolutionary theory that trying to put evolution on trial is a most foolish adventure. We have separation of church and state laws, just as do most countries in the Western civilized world. These laws keep our democracies from going into the chaos which is causing world anguish. For conservative religious right advocates to attempt to a get a stage for their puny intellectually foolish cause, has gained great interest throughout the world. It reflects poorly on the State of Kansas, and the United States to even allow such discussion to proceed. It is a step backward for mankind in general to even comprehend such matters.

doctorrazz

[KANSAS_HURTS_KANSAS]

Kansas approves ID to be taught in science classrooms, proving that even many people people from Kansas are not educated. If only religious fundamental zealots would learn what science (and the scientific method) is, we would not have this problem. I feel as though my tax dollars are being stollen from me and spent on lying to the children who need real science more that most do. Evolution therory never makes any claims about origins of life on earth. However, it is certain that the choice to teach ID came from a very UNintelligent Designer. Perhaps this was the actions of a monkey-like organism that has yet to evolve into a human capable of reasoning ablity and logical thinking. Teach ID in a theology class or a philosophy class. If there can not be a seperation of church and state then I pray that my child never goes to school in Kansas. By the way, I recommend boycotting any products or services from any state that will allow the destruction of one of mankinds greatest achievements, "The Scientific Method." If any of you out there would like to read a great book that describes what is causing Kansas to perpetuate this mess I recommend:
"Why God Won't Go Away : Brain Science and the Biology of Belief"
by Andrew Newberg, Eugene G. D'Aquili, Vince Rause, Andrew B. Newberg

[BronzeDog]

Between this, and my family's failed attempt last night to counteract the mob of pseudo-religious biological idolators in Texas chipping away at the federal First Amendment, the government is looking that much worse.